The Past Hurts
by extraordinary geek
Summary: Sometimes we have memories we want to stay hidden, and sometimes the past just won't stay in the past.
1. Prologue

**Author: Extraordinary Geek**

**Thank You to everyone who read my other super short little story that made me really happy, this is my treat to all of you :)**

**Disclaimer: Still don't won NCIS, **

* * *

Cold it was extremely cold, why did it have to be cold outside he thought as he curled up into a ball to try and keep warm, as his thin blanket had proved useless against the elements. As he scooted to the corner he saw _him _enter the room_,_ no please he thought not _him_ again, and he tried to move away but it was too cold and _he_ was stronger, much stronger.

No, he thought as he woke up with a scream and was sweating and nearly hyperventilating, reliving this last dream. It's Just a dream it's only a dream he said, trying to reassure himself. The last time he had these type of dreams was when he was a teenager and he was in high school, what could have set them off again? He glanced at his alarm clock and noticed that it was only four a.m and he still had plenty of time to keep sleeping and he really did want to, but deep down he knew that if he did go to sleep he would be tormented by those horrible dreams again and plus it wouldn't hurt to get ready earlier anyways. As he sat down at the table to drink some tea, he couldn't help but wonder what had brought on his dream, as he racked his brain for anything that might help him.

He decided to go to work early figuring that there was nothing better for him to do as he could either go to work or sit around in his apartment until it was time to go to work, plus with the snow shower predicted he was probably better off going early that way he wouldn't risk Gibbs' wrath for coming late to work.

"Tony, what are you doing here so early this morning?" Ziva asked confused at finding Tony so early in the morning just sitting nonchalantly at his desk.

"Nothing Ziva, why would you assume that I am doing anything" Tony replied.

Ziva turned and looked all around for an indication of any mischief he could have caused or any pranks she might fall subject to, as she saw Tony had that mischievous glint in his eye.

"Tony, if you are planning any prank on me , I assure you that it will not be funny, and in fact you will not even live to laugh about it," Ziva threatened.

"Don't worry Ziva; no sane person would try to prank you, well at least not any one with half a brain"

"Exactly why she's worried that you might prank her Tony," Tim stated having just come in and caught the last part of what Tony had been saying. "And you better not prank me either Tony, I'm not in the mood not this morning," Tim stated, feeling really tired and sleepy as he thought about going to sleep.

"Ooh, did McGrumpy wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Tony asked quietly shoving the bottle of super glue in his hand inside his desk drawer, deciding that this was much more interesting.

"Shut it Tony, I don't feel like hearing your taunting today, Okay?" Tim bit out as he walked around his desk in an attempt to avoid Tony, even though it was in vain.

"Wow, McGee Tell Uncle Tony what happened that has got you all worked up did you lose at your precious Elf lord game probie?" Tony asked as he moved around and sat at Tim's desk.

"No Tony I did not lose in my game, because I didn't even go online yesterday, because I was busy and had stuff to do just like I do now, and don't you have anything to do anyways?" He asked

"Yes, he does McGee;" Gibbs answered startling all of them as he walked in with a cup of coffee in his hand. McGee never knew how Gibbs managed to get there quietly and unseen and enter at either the best or worst moment.

"Why yes Boss, getting ready to go do some stuff now, I was just talking to McGee that's all you know making sure he was being productive," Tony replied as he saw McGee roll his eyes and turn back to his computer .

"I don't think that McGee needs you of all people to make sure he is doing his job right Tony," Ziva countered, especially since you are the one who tries to run away from paperwork the moment you see it.

And with that the whole day continued on with the team working on either paperwork or cold cases as nothing had come up and they had nothing else to do. All the while outside the snow was falling gently on the ground covering everything in white, calming everyone inside except for one special agent who sat watching the snow fall as old memories began to resurface ones, memories that were not pretty.

Please review it would make me happy


	2. Strange letter

**Hello to everyone again, sorry I didn't update but I've been having some computer problems. Sorry for the short chapter but it was the best I could do as every few minutes my computer froze. Oh also Thank You for reviewing it really helps. :)  
**

**Disclaimer: again I don't own NCIS

* * *

**

Chapter 2

As Gibbs watched his team work, he noticed that Tim was staring at the falling snow with a look on his face that he couldn't quite place. McGee was unaware of the looks that Gibbs sent him every once in a while as he was distracted and lost in his own thoughts.

"Okay everyone, go home; there is nothing else for you to do here," Gibbs announced

As Tony and Ziva gathered their things and left, Gibbs noticed that McGee had not moved and still sat at his desk with an almost haunted look on his face.

"McGee, he called and when that didn't work he tapped his shoulder causing him to jump up quickly before noticing that it was Gibbs.

"Sorry Boss just got a bit zoned out you know looking at the snow fall," McGee stammered trying to hide his embarrassment at his reaction to Gibbs' tap. Turning around he noticed that he and Gibbs were the only ones left in the room.

"Where is everyone else", he asked puzzled

"I sent everyone home about five minutes ago, McGee but you just sat there," Gibbs explained wondering what was going on with his youngest agent.

"Oh, Bye boss see you tomorrow" and with that McGee gathered his stuff and left. As he drove home McGee sighed, it had been such a long day and going home didn't sound as appealing anymore as he was sure that he would be met with more nightmares come night time.

As McGee got home, he went about his daily business of checking his mail, and email, when he noticed a postcard of an old cathedral, with no sender address, or name. Turning it around he noticed that the word found was printed there. He thought it rather odd, but decided that it must be from some travel agency or some other business. He discarded it with the rest of his mail, and went about his evening forgetting about the postcard.

He hoped that the postcard was sent and that the recipient had received it. He hadn't wanted to expose himself, too early in the plan, only cause discomfort. He had made sure that none had seen him as he had dropped off the card as he couldn't make any mistakes this early. Soon he would reveal himself, but now was not the time. He was sure that McGee had been getting too comfortable in his uneventful life. Well that wouldn't matter, he was sure to fix it as McGee's life was about to get much more eventful as he was going to have some fun whether his target agreed or not. He only hoped that nothing would be suspected until he had executed his plan. After all, why rush through things and make mistakes, no he had time. He would go slowly and proceed carefully as planned. He was back, and this time he would succeed.

Read and Review


	3. Something Hinky

**Thank You to everyone who reviewed, alerted, or added as a favorite. A special thanks goes to Anishine, who motivated me to write some more and I said I would give a new chapter on Sunday and here it is. Hope you guys like it. I'm Writing chapter four right now but I'm also working on my other story from House. The other chapter will most likely be put sometime this week.  
**

**p.s.: This story will contain child abuse, but it will not contain sexual abuse.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS nor any of the characters here **

* * *

_"Sorry! Sorry! I'm sorry!" the little boy yelled out in a panic. His heart was pounding and he was looking for an escape route but found none available._

_"Damn right you're sorry, but not as sorry as you will be once I'm done with you brat" he yelled out as he came closer to Tim. He balled his hands into fists and struck out. "You good for nothing can't even do a simple task, but with your lack of brain it's no surprise and you were just asking for it weren't you "he yelled out insults as he gave blow after blow. The blows rained down on his tiny body and he raised his hands to shield his face to no avail as he was tossed around like a broken doll and hit the wall with a sickening Thud. _

_"You're lucky I'm in a good mood, because I won't be so merciful next time you understand," he whispered as he leaned towards Tim's Ear, the smell of alcohol heavy on his breath. The little boy looked up and nodded "Yes Sir" not wanting to further anger the man. Appeased, he gave the boy one last kick as he walked out the door, locking it after him._

_After the man had walked out, the little boy curled up into the corner and cried. He thought hard about what he had done this time, to anger his father. He had just walked into the house after going to the store on the corner and bringing back the items that his father had requested. His father was probably just in a bad mood. It was his fault anyways, he wasn't sure why, but it was, his father told him so. _

**Monday morning**

"Good Morning Agent McGee, bit early isn't it" the guard at the door greeted with a smile. Agent McGee always showed up early, but never this early.

"Yes, but I have some work to do and decided I should come and finish it, not like I have anything to do" McGee answered trying to return the smile, but not pulling it off due to his exhaustion. All week he had been unable to rest especially with the nightmares that kept him up at night. As he walked into the bullpen, he felt a wave of calm and peace come over him. Being at NCIS always calmed his nerves especially since it was such a safe place. Gathering some cold cases he got to work, not really paying any attention to the papers in front him as he got lost in thoughts of the flashbacks he had been experiencing.

"McGee, what are you doing here so early you nearly gave me a heart stroke" Ziva exclaimed surprised at finding said person sitting at his desk especially since it appeared he had been there for a long time.

"Just some work Ziva, it's not that early, and it's a heart attack not a heart stroke" he corrected gently with a smile on his face. She was unconvinced since she herself knew that it was very early but she let it slide. They sat in silence for hours working on random files of cases listening to the arrival of other agents in the building.

"McGee, Ziva" Gibbs acknowledged as he walked past them and went up the stairs to speak with the director. Twenty minutes later the elevator stopped and Tony stepped out made evident by his loud greeting.

"I wouldn't take off my coat if I were you Dinozzo" Gibbs announced just as Tony was taking off his jacket. "Case boss?" he asked barely able to hide his excitement. It had been a long time and even though they didn't want people to be murdered, nobody did, it was a welcome change from the boring paperwork they had done all last week. "Gear up; got a dead body in Greenbelt," was all Gibbs answered as he walked to his desk hiding a smile, feeling better now that they weren't going to be inside all day. He didn't think he could have handled it one more day; he probably would have had to explain to the director why they were in need of two new agents. He was glad that they now had a case hopefully that would keep his two bickering agents occupied. He knew one thing he would never punish them with desk duty, it would be like punishing himself, not that he would ever tell them.

**Later**

"I'm glad we've got a case, I don't think my head could stand more smacks to it," Tony said snapping pictures of the room.

"Me too, I think I was getting a concussion from all the smacks my head got" McGee replied picking up a piece of cloth from the white carpet and rubbing the back of his head from the remembered stings the smacks to his head had caused.

"Well you are just lucky Gibbs did not shoot you because if I were him, I certainly would have, you were both arguing like toddlers"

"Hey, if I recall Gibbs wasn't that happy with you Agent _Daveeed_," Tony answered back sounding out the last part to annoy her. "And I won't be happy with you Dinozzo if you don't get back to work," Gibbs answered. "Well Jethro what do we have here," Ducky asked entering the room with Jimmy lagging behind him. "Petty officer Lange, found dead in his apartment after friends came worried he hadn't been answering his phone".

"You know Jethro, this case reminds me of that time in South America when"

"TOD, Duck" Gibbs cut Ducky off knowing the older man would ramble on about one of his stories, if not stopped and he needed this information as soon as possible. "Well it appears that this poor man died about thirteen hours ago, or at 7:30 p.m, 1930 hrs," Ducky stated pulling the liver probe out of the dead petty officer.

As Ducky went on telling some tale of what this reminded him of, McGee kept bagging and tagging evidence. Something felt, as Abby would say it Hinky about this crime scene he just didn't know what. He had this nagging feeling in the back of his head that something was wrong about this, _what could it be, he didn't even know petty officer Lange. But something was bothering him. Now he knew, he felt like he was being watched. _He quickly turned and looked around. _Nothing there must be his lack of sleep. _Shrugging he turned around and went back to work. He failed to notice that he was being watched.

* * *

Please Review and tell me what you think. :)


	4. Sleepy Probie?

**Hello to everyone, I hope people are still reading this story. Well I'm sorry for the delay, but you know what with school work and things and plus I got my muse back from its long vacation**.

**Anyways thank you to everyone who reviewed or alerted this story, I give you lots of hugs** :D

**Disclaimer:I don't own NCIS or any of the characters in it**

* * *

Chapter 4

Walking into the lab or labby as it was known, was always a welcome experience as it was always filled with music and just had a general happy vibe to it the complete opposite of the crime scene he had just come from. Looking around McGee located the resident forensic scientist Abigail Sciuto or Abby as everyone else called her bobbing her head to the music.

"Abby?" Yup, once again her music was too loud and with her back turned to him there was no way she could hear him

"Abby!" McGee yelled out trying to be heard over the music.

A barely heard sorry was muttered and a few seconds later the music was turned down a bit to where he now felt comfortable that his eardrums wouldn't shatter. Seriously how did she listen to that all day long and not go deaf.

"Timmy! I'm so glad you're here I've only had my babies for company and well with no active cases it gets lonely and I have nothing to do and please tell me that there's a case " rambled the energetic goth

"Well you're in luck Abbs we've got a case and Gibbs says he wants this done as soon as possible," Tim stated handing over a box of evidence and a large Caf-Pow.

"Thank you Timmy you are so sweet knowing exactly what a girl wants and needs, tell El Jefe that Abby Sciuto is on the job" replied a happy Abby slurping down her favorite caffeinated drink of sugariness.

Back at the bullpen Tony and Ziva were arguing over God knows what and McGee could care less all he wanted right now was some nice sleep, not some loud squabbling arguments by annoying coworkers who couldn't get it through their head that some people were trying to sleep, _ahem_ work. Going over some evidence and not seeing Gibbs in sight McGee decided to close his stinging eyes just for a minute.

"Hey Ziva look at probie" Tony called out having turned around and seen McGee with his head slumped on his desk.

"Should we wake him up or let Gibbs do it, Ooh I've got it lets glue all his pens to his desk so when he wakes up he won't have anything to write with," Tony stated with uncontained glee thinking of ways to torture McGee while he was sleeping.

"Do that and I will tell Gibbs that it was all you and you did absolutely nothing"

"Okay, Okay, no need to get hasty"

"Wonder what he's dreaming about most likely saving the beautiful elf fairy in one of those computer games of his, what do you think Ziva?"

"I don't know Tony he looks like he's how do you say it, out cold to me"

"Oh come on Zee, he" Tony began

At that McGee started stirring and hit his head on the desk muttering an _ow_ and awakening immediately to the staring faces of his coworkers.

"I wasn't sleeping"

"Of course you weren't just decided to greet the desk did you?"

"I was just resting my eyes for a bit," Tim stated defensively looking around for Gibbs

"Stop worrying McGee, the boss isn't here yet and we weren't going to rat you out we were just about to wake you up weren't we Ziva?" Tony asked trying to get Ziva to back him up.

"Actually Tony was planning on playing a prank on you and letting Gibbs wake you up" She stated with a devious smirk on her face.

"Hey, I was not"

"You were too"

"I was not"

"You were…"

"Hey, do I need to remind you all that you are grown federal agents and as such you should act like it and actually be working," Gibbs stated once again taking them by surprise with his unannounced entrance.

"Would it kill you to do some work for once take a look at McGee" Gibbs stated pointing at McGee who was hard at work typing in search coordinates and checking the dead petty officer's finances.

"But boss," Tony began

"No buts DiNozzo, get to work"

After that the bullpen settled into a peaceful quiet the clatter of keyboards being heard and every once in a while a ping from a search at Tim's computer.

"Boss, I've got something I was running a search on our guy and found out that he has had an extra two thousand dollars in his account every month that can't be accounted for" McGee stated proudly with a smug look on his face directed at Tony.

"Good work McGee, see if you can find out where he got the money from and where he's been wasting it"

A few hours later Gibbs let the team go home stating that it was enough work for the day and they deserved it. Looking around Gibbs noticed that McGee made no move to leave and was still huddled over his computer.

"Didn't you hear McGee I told you guys to go home," Gibbs asked hoping that his agent got the hint.

"I know boss I heard you it's just that I can't seem to get past this encryption whoever did this knows what they're doing"

"You're saying that there's someone else who has been doing his computer work for him?" Gibbs asked

"Yes and well they're real good too, I just can't seem to crack it, it's like I know it but I can't seem to close my head around it at the same time," McGee answered his voice laced with frustration.

"Well McGee why don't you go home and rest and come back tomorrow a bit more refreshed since right now you're in no shape to do whatever it is that you're doing, Come on" Gibbs gently pushed McGee towards the elevator.

"Sure Boss" McGee yawned looking forward now to a hot shower and his cozy bed.

Gibbs held back a smile if he didn't call him out McGee would've probably stayed there and fallen asleep at his desk. He shook his head the kid couldn't take care of himself he just didn't understand the concept of tomorrow.

* * *

Please review, Reviews make me happy Thanks!


	5. Why is everyone looking at me?

**Hello again everyone, sorry for not replying to your reviews but I was busy, I'll try to reply from now on. Thanks for reading and reviewing**

**Author: Extraordinary geek  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, or the characters in it.**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 5

_Whoever said that sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me, obviously never had hurtful words directed at them. _

"_Did you think this was funny?"_

_He stared blankly at the piece of paper his father shoved in his face not knowing what had caused this bout of his father's rage._

"_Well answer me, boy or are you deaf as well as dumb"_

_Looking down at the piece of paper his father had thrown at him he saw that it was a note from the school counselor. _

_To the parents of Timothy_

_We are sending out this letter to request a parent-teacher conference concerning your son's behavior. _

_Your son's teacher has noticed that your son is too restless and seems to have trouble paying attention in class. We would like to ask for you to schedule a conference as soon as possible. Please get in contact with the school by either meeting the teacher before or after school. If not possible please contact (947) 293 6741_

_Sincerely, Ms. Nora_

_Tim felt the air constrict in his throat as he read the note, he knew saying something would not help his case, but as he saw his father's furious gaze he couldn't help it._

"_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I promise I won't…"_

"_Shut up brat I don't want to hear a word"_

"_Yes sir" he answered timidly _

"_And if you don't I'll make sure to shut it for you do you understand?"_

_He nodded afraid that he would anger his father further by not obeying his simple instructions._

Stumbling into the bullpen McGee looked down; he had tried to hide the rings under his face to no avail and hoped that no one noticed. It's not like everyone looked at him when he came in he wasn't Dinozzo after all. Unfortunately luck was not on his side today and Tony looked up to greet him.

"Not enough rest there Probie, did you have someone over, you know keeping you up at night" Tony asked, in reality he was kind of shocked. Probie looked like he hadn't slept in days.

_Oh who was he kidding they were trained investigators after all._

"No Tony, and what do you mean?" McGee turned away starting to feel uncomfortable with the concerned glance that Tony sent his way. He didn't look that bad, right?

"Well you look like death warmed over"

"I agree with Tony McGee you do not look so hot, yes?" Ziva looked worried. It was obvious that something was bothering McGee but he had yet to confide in them. How where they supposed to help if they didn't know what the problem was.

"Wow Ziva didn't know you were after our probie"

"Shut it Dinozzo," Gibbs turned around and got a better look at McGee, he looked worse for wear with dark circles under his eyes and an overall tired appearance. How long had he been like that? He was pretty sure he didn't look as bad yesterday.

"McGee thought I told you to go home and rest" McGee it seemed had not followed that simple instruction.

"I did boss you saw me go home"

"And did you get some rest?"

"I tried boss you know to get my brain flowing, but even with the rest I got I can't seem to figure this out"

Sensing his agent's frustration and knowing that if anything he could at least get a break Gibbs sighed "Go downstairs and have Abby help you with the encryption"

"Ok Boss"

As he watched his youngest agent go downstairs to the lab, Gibbs couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with McGee. Not that he had said anything was wrong, he never did, but he had been zoning out so much and seemed so exhausted that he was starting to wonder if he was sleeping with his eyes open. Well if anyone could get out what was bothering McGee it would be Abby. He was pretty sure that McGee was experiencing some of Abby's fine interrogation techniques right about now.

Down at the lab

"Tim! Wow what's wrong with you?" Abby couldn't remember seeing McGee this tired and pale yesterday. He looked like he was going to faint. The bodies as autopsy probably had more color than him at this point.

"What do you mean Abby" he was pretty sure he knew what Abby meant but he didn't want to answer. What was with people staring at him like he had grown another head.

"You know what I mean McGee, the whole looking like a raccoon thing you've got going you know with the dark rings under your eyes"

"Just couldn't get to sleep don't worry about it" Tim yawned.

"Ok well let's see what we've got here"

A well built man with a clean cut appearance sat in an apartment. He was wearing a suit and tie with some expensive dress shoes to match. At first glance nothing seemed to indicate that there was something to fear him for. He had an easygoing smile that instantly put people at ease, but if one delved deeper a predatory almost manic gleam could be seen in his eyes. As he sat there looking out the window, he couldn't help but feel anger at the sudden onset of memories. But he would make up for it he was sure.

_Too many years had passed and he had not spent them well. It angered him to see that he had been stuck in a cell for a good part of his life while McGee as he went by now lived his life peacefully. He had gone and lived a fairytale a fantasy that he was making himself believe, did his coworkers know? Probably not, if they did they wouldn't want to be anywhere near him they would see him as the pathetic weakling that he was. He had done his research and apparently McGee was the good guy at NCIS, he had found out that he was a kind, friendly, hardworking, and honest person. Imagine if they found out that he had lied to them all along. He really didn't care for kind or friendly they just made people weak, at least hardworking stayed into him. Seems like the lessons he beat into him stayed._

_He was wasting time and it was frustrating him. Seems like the team had gotten an active case and they were busy and had everyone working. This would make it hard to complete the next phase of his plan. It was delaying him from having his fun. He would have to make sure that he got their attention or got rid of their current case. He had a few phone calls to make and a few favors people owed him or would soon. _

"Hey Jethro, how are you boy," McGee pet Jethro his dog as he hung his backpack on a nearby chair. It seemed like it was getting harder and harder to do his job. He really wasn't sure how long he could keep this up. As he walked towards the kitchen he felt a tingling feeling in his gut. After looking all around and finding nothing he shrugged and got lost in thought.

_What was with that creepy, someone was watching him feeling. _

He also wondered about the dreams, he figured that the last case with the dead kids triggered it. After feeding Jethro and taking a shower he decided that he was too tired to eat and decided to go to sleep. Somewhere in the back of his head a little annoying voice decided to remind him of the fact that he probably should eat as he had been eating only lunch at work for a few days now. But the truth was, he was just too tired to even think about chewing. And with that he went off to bed wanting to get some rest and hopefully a break from the nightmares that plagued his dreams.

* * *

Review please and make my day! :D


	6. New killer

**Sorry for the short chapter, but I felt like I needed to upload something. I am working on the next chapter, but I just wanted things to keep going. Thanks to all who reviewed, alerted, or favorited. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS**

* * *

"Gear up" Gibbs voice sounded across the bullpen.

"Another body Boss?" Tony was frustrated, a few days now and they had no clues as to where their killer was. Like the others he hated it that they knew who he was but they couldn't find him.

"Yes, but this time it's the murderer" Was all Gibbs answered. Confused they all followed Gibbs to the elevator.

At the crime scene

Ducky and Jimmy arrived late to the crime scene as usual. And as usual they were arguing about their late arrival.

"If you were to turn left where I told you instead of right we would have gotten here on time Mr. Palmer"

"But Dr. Mallard, the GPS clearly said to turn left"

Shaking their heads Tony and McGee went off to do their assigned jobs.

"So the killer got killed" Tony sketched glancing at the surrounding area.

"Do unto others as you would have done unto you" McGee stated, walking around snapping pictures of the crime scene. The body of the murderer had been dumped in a semi common park. It was common enough that people passed by every so often, but not common enough to get their new killer caught.

"So what do you think Probie?" Tony asked, having gotten bored with sketching and now needing to do something else.

"About what?

"About the new killer. Friend or accomplice?" McGee walked over to some bushes and stopped.

"Tony" Hearing McGee's tone of voice stopped Tony in his tracks. Walking over to where Tim was pointing Tony noticed that rocks had been covered with what appeared to be blood and spelled out NCIS. It was a bit strange to see someone use rocks to spell out words. Seeing this meant that the killer meant for NCIS to find the body. It was a message to them. Gibbs however interrupted their thoughts

"McGee take pictures, Dinozzo bag and tag" Both quickly scurried off to do as Gibbs commanded.

When they got back at NCIS they all went off to do their jobs. They had sent the evidence to Abby hoping that she would find something to incriminate the new killer. They also wanted to find out whether the blood was from the dead body or someone else.

"Gibbs! Gibbs!" Abby came running out of the elevator. "Where's Gibbs?" She had something to tell and he was not here.

"He's at…"

"Right here Abbs" Once again Gibbs magically appeared when he was needed.

"Gibbs, I found out that the rocks weren't covered with actual blood it is really just paint. It is just really realistic paint that looks like blood. Although I don't get why he…"

"Or she" Ziva interrupted.

Abby rolled her eyes. "Yeah or she did that, I mean he or she did have a dead body lying around"

"Maybe he didn't want to get his hands dirty." Everyone turned to stare at Tim. Just as Tony was about to answer, Will the mail carrier came through the door.

"Umm, I've got a letter here that is addressed to Gibbs' team." He stammered out. Will was a part time college student and Gibbs scared him. Gibbs turned his gaze on him.

"Why did you bring it here?" Will visibly gulped.

"I was going to leave it on the desk but I heard that you were down here so I brought it here."

Gibbs seemed satisfied with the answer and told him to leave. Everyone except Tony gathered around the mysterious letter. Ever since the plague incident he had been wary of strange letters.

"Abbs I want you to…"

"Run a scan and see if there are any hazardous substances, right bossman. I will have that in a jiffy." Just when they were about to leave a ping was heard throughout the lab.

"Nothing here, it's safe to open" And with she put some gloves on. This time everyone stood around her trying to read over her shoulder. The letter in and of itself was just plain paper with a few sentences written in a bland black ink.

_Dear Gibbs_

_Did you like what I did? _

_I caught your murderer, hope you don't mind. _

_I was tired of waiting so I fixed it for you._

_Now down to business, you have something mine and I want it back._

_You don't know what it is, so until next time._

_I will contact further_

"What's with the letter boss? Do we know him?" That was all Tony could think of as to why their new killer decided to send this out.

"Maybe or maybe not, but whatever the reason he got our attention." Gibbs interjected. "McGee stay with Abby, see if our killer really is as smart as he thinks. Tony and Ziva" He hoped to get his agents back with me." As Gibbs got into the elevator he felt his gut tighten. Even though they had gotten messages from many lunatics over the years, this was different. Something about this case didn't bode well with Gibbs' gut and he had learned over the years to trust his gut.

* * *

Please Read and Review. :D


	7. Puzzle Pieces

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait. Thanks to all who reviewed, favorited, or alerted even with the long wait. I hope you like this.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own NCIS or its characters

* * *

Standing over is latest piece of work he decided to celebrate. After all, he had just gotten rid of some trash that had long been overdue. Kicking the body he walked away. He was careful not to leave any finger prints; no need to get caught after all. He still had a few more people to take care of and he was not going to be put away before he was able to complete his plan. This was just the easiest target and he would start out easy and go slow. Tomorrow cops swarm over the crime scene like moths to light. Now for some champagne to make this day complete, tomorrow would be another day.

Ding!

"Hey probie, looking better there" Tony called out. It was true McGee had taken the weekend slowly and had gotten a good night's rest. He was feeling refreshed and better so much like his old self.

"Thanks Tony, I was able to get some sleep this weekend" McGee replied going back to sit at his desk.

Ziva nodded her approval. She too had noticed that McGee had been looking rather tired but had decided to leave him alone hoping it was nothing important.

"Gear up" Once again Gibbs had arrived unannounced. He noticed that McGee was looking better and that the dark rings under his eyes were now almost gone. It seemed like McGee had finally taken his advice and gotten some well deserved sleep.

"Another body boss?" Tim asked. At this rate they would never finish their paper work.

"Yep McGee same killer"

"Wait how do we know it's the same killer?" Tony asked.

Gibbs glared. "Left a message for us, I figure that's a good enough sign that it's the same killer. Don't ya think Dinozzo?"

Tony quickly nodded as Gibbs and the rest left for the elevator.

"So what do we have here?" Ducky asked as he and Jimmy came up.

"67 year old Tom Millan was found dead this morning in his home when his neighbor cam to ask him something, opened the door and found him dead in his living room." Tony shuddered.

McGee was just walking into the house when he heard Tony's words. _It couldn't be._ Running into the living room he stared. In the middle of the room lay the body of Tom Millan as he lay in his own blood. It looked like he had been beaten for some time and then shot, if the bullet in his chest was any indication. Although it was many years later and he had grey hair, McGee recognized him as clear as the day he had met him.

"_Timothy Anderson" said boy looked up as a strange man walked into the room. _

"_My name is Dr. Tom Millan and I'll be your doctor, you can just call me Tom" _

_His current patient was sitting on a hospital bed. He had a tiny two year in his arms and would not let anyone hold her. The nurses had tried getting the boy to relinquish his hold on the little girl but he had stubbornly refused. When they tried to physically remove her they boy had shrieked same as the girl and they had left them alone. Desperate they had called Dr. Millan who not only had medical training but also psychological training._

"_Are you ok?" The little boy just stared at him and didn't answer. The man looked kind but one never knew for sure. _

"_Can I see your sister?" That got a reaction. The little boy just tightened his hold on his sister as his eyes widened. _

"_It's okay I just want to make sure she's alright" Again the hold tightened as the little boy slowly shook his head. _

"_Oh okay, I'll let the nurses know that she will sleep with you tonight, is that alright?" The doctor looked toward the frightened boy who watched his every movement. That night true to his word, the boy and his sister slept in the same bed. Other nurses had suggested giving him a sedative and taking the girl away when he was out but Dr. Millan had refused. He told them that would betray the boy's trust in them as they would be taking away one of the only precious things he had. _

_Unaware that the little boy was listening in to their conversation the nurses conceded. Hearing what the doctor had to say made the little boy think that maybe he could trust this doctor. Just a bit at least. _

"McGee, McGee!"

Snapping out of his daydreams McGee looked up at Gibbs worried face. "Everything okay McGee?" He asked.

McGee just turned his head and nodded. Swallowing the lump in his throat he answered. "I'm okay boss" Gibbs still seemed concerned. This was hardly McGee's first body and not the most gruesome either. He wasn't convinced but let it go. If McGee wanted he would confide in him plus they had a body to take care of right now.

McGee for his part did not want to confide in Gibbs anytime soon on the trip down memory lane he had just experienced. It was irrelevant to the case. His father was in jail after all. There was no reason to tell Gibbs about something so private in his life if it didn't matter. This was one part of his life which he hoped to take to the grave.

"McGee are you going to take pictures anytime soon?" Gibb yelled. McGee quickly scurried off to do as Gibbs asked. Following the trail of destruction McGee came to another room connected to the living room. Getting there he stopped. Covering the wall was the same creepy red blood like paint. Scrawled in messy handwriting was a short message.

_Congrats Team Gibbs_

_This is only the first_

_J. T. A._

Gibbs glared at the message in anger. This psycho was getting more out of hand.

"Tony take some of that so we can give it to Abby" Tony for his part nodded and proceeded to scrape some of the paint hoping it would lead them to their guy.

Everyone was so absorbed in what they were doing that they didn't notice McGee in the background staring at the message in horror.

McGee was in a panic. He was close to hyperventilating. Excusing himself he went outside for a breath of fresh air. Taking big gulps of air he forced himself to keep calm. He had to stay cool and collected right now. No need to fall apart, nothing had happened. There were surely more people with the initials J.T.A. He was probably just worrying over nothing. Right now he needed to get to work and find out who had killed Dr. Millan and bring them to justice. He would call the jail later, when he had time. Just to calm his overreacting mind.

* * *

**Read and Review :)**


	8. What's wrong with Probie?

**A/N:** Thanks to all who reviewed, alerted, or favorited. Anyways, I hope this wasn't a long wait.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own NCIS or its characters

* * *

"Uh Boss" Tony looked around nervously.

"What"

"Where's McGee?" That question got Gibbs' attention. Looking around he noticed that said person was not there anymore. Ziva didn't know where McGee was either.

Ducky came in and saw their panicked expressions. "What's wrong Jethro?" He asked wondering what could have gotten them in a panic.

"Have you seen McGee Duck?" Gibbs asked.

"Why of course he excused himself and went outside. A while ago now that I think about it." Ducky said wondering what McGee would be doing.

Gibbs quickly ran outside and scanned the area for any sign of his missing agent. He should have listened to his gut, now his agent was missing. Just as he was about to call the others he noticed the youngest member of his team sitting on a large rock with his head between his legs. He seemed to be hyperventilating. Concerned Gibbs walked over to McGee. For his part McGee did not seem to acknowledge Gibbs' presence as he sat there right beside him.

Suddenly McGee raised his head and seemed to be calmer. If he hadn't seen him earlier Gibbs would never have known that anything had happened. Confused by the sudden change he placed his hand on McGee's shoulder. McGee flinched and turned around.

"Boss?" Blushing McGee stood up. He had been too caught up in his thoughts to notice Gibbs' arrival.

"Are you okay McGee?" Gibbs asked once again concerned with what exactly was happening to his agent.

"Yeah boss, I just, well I mean" McGee seemed to have trouble saying what he wanted.

"It's okay McGee just take your time" Gibbs told him. The rest of the team had arrived and were looking at McGee with concern.

"Can we leave it for now boss" McGee asked pleading with Gibbs silently to let it go for now. Gibbs looked at McGee and sighed. "Fine McGee but we'll talk about this later." McGee nodded. He hadn't expected any less.

Once the body was taken back to NCIS the team went back into the bullpen and started putting their things again. Just as Tim was sitting down he noticed a letter at his desk.

"Ooh McLover boy" Tony joked. "Have a girl tucked in there somewhere? Sending you letters at work"

McGee rolled his eyes. "Ha ha ha Tony I'm not you"

"Sadly McGee that's true. Then again not everyone can be this wonderfully sexy and charming." Tony stated pointing at himself.

"Whatever Tony don't you have something else to do other than snooping around my personal life?" McGee huffed. Not waiting for a response he sat down and tore open the letter.

_To: Timothy McGee_

_How are you miserable brat? I hear you've been going by McGee nowadays. Have you found the bodies yet? I hope so. _

_I wonder if you've told the team about your past. _

_It doesn't seem so especially since I've heard from others that you are well liked. _

_Well enjoy that while it lasts. Not everyone can live a fairytale especially you. _

_You ruined my life and now I will ruin yours. _

_Signed: J.T.A_

McGee sat in shock. This could not be happening. His worst nightmare was coming true. How did his father know where he worked, he was supposed to be in lockup forever. How was he in DC? Whatever the reason, he knew enough about where he worked that he had left the letter in his desk. Did he know where he lived? With shaking hands McGee held the paper as if it were a bomb ready to explode at any given minute.

"Are you okay Probie?" McGee had forgotten about Tony's presence. Interested in what the letter was about Tony had watched McGee as he opened the letter. Noticing McGee's wide eyes and sheet white face had alarm bells ringing. When his hands started shaking he knew something was wrong.

"McGee" McGee was so caught up in flashbacks and memories that he didn't respond.

"McGee!" Worried Tony began shaking his probie and got an unexpected reaction. McGee jerked back and screamed. Falling off his chair he scooted away from Tony until his back hit the desk and started rocking back and forth with his body protectively curled inward.

Unsure of what to do Tony looked towards Ziva for help. Also unsure about what to do she phoned Gibbs and told him to bring Ducky and get there fast.

Not more than two minutes had passed when Gibbs and Ducky came right out the elevator. Taking one look at his shaking and frightened agent Gibbs ran into the bullpen with Ducky right on his heels. Leaning towards McGee Ducky touched his arm trying to get him to calm down.

"No! Don't touch me!" He shrieked. He twisted out of Ducky's grasp; who startled let him go. He kept on saying no over and over again as he curled up even tighter.

"Tim snap out of it now!" Gibbs yelled out hoping to reach out to his agent. It seemed to have an immediate effect on McGee who stopped rocking back and forth. His body became rigid with fear as he started apologizing profusely.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, please" His eyes seemed distant and far away as he was reliving those memories.

"_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please" He shrieked as the blows fell down upon his bruised and battered body. He tried to shield his body to no avail as more blows rained down upon his quivering already frail form._

_Looking at the miserable wreck laying on the ground his father yelled out. "I will not have a lazy weakling as a son!"_

"_I'm sorry, daddy please don't!" He tried to beg even though he knew it wouldn't matter. _

"_Shut up what have I told you about talking back, you miserable brat" Deciding that his fists weren't enough he started kicking viciously at the curled up ball on the floor. "Do that again and next time I will use the belt" Too weak to do anything he laid there and sobbed. _

"Timothy"

Still caught up in the flashback McGee did not hear or see anyone as they looked on in worried concern. Curled up tightly against remembered pain he started crying heartbroken sobs that had everyone in tears.

"He is not responsive Jethro, I'm afraid I will have to sedate him before he goes into shock" Ducky solemnly announced. He hadn't wanted to resort to such drastic measures but there was nothing they could do. Gibbs nodded. He understood Ducky's reasoning and by the devastated look on the older man's face could tell that it was a last resort.

"Do it Ducky before he hurts himself." Ducky got out the syringe and gently plunged it into McGee who slumped into boneless unconsciousness in just a matter of seconds.

"What happened here?" Gibbs demanded as soon as Ducky started taking McGee's vitals.

Ziva and Tony both looked at each other quite frightened by the earlier scene to answer.

"I asked what happened!" Gibbs asked louder this time.

"McGee got a letter boss and right after he read it he got as white as a ghost and started shaking. After that I tried to snap him out of it and he freaked out" Tony was still confused as to what exactly had happened.

"Which letter?" Gibbs followed through the conversation and noticed that important fact. Tony pointed towards the floor by McGee's desk. In all the noise and confusion the letter had fallen off McGee's desk and onto the floor. Reaching for the letter Gibbs opened it and read what was inside, Tony and Ziva peering over his shoulder. Gibbs narrowed his eyes at the initials at the end of the letter. They were the same as the ones left at the crime scene.

"What does this mean boss?" Tony asked. Having read the letter didn't help at all. It just confused him more than he already was. Did McGee know their killer?

"I don't know Dinozzo but we'll know when McGee wakes up." Helping Gibbs, Tony and Ziva carried McGee down to Abby's lab. Hopefully he would be able to rest and tell them what exactly had caused that reaction upstairs.

* * *

Read and Review :)


	9. Explanations

**A/N:** Thanks for reviewing and alerting. I hope you like the chapter! enjoy :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own NCIS or its characters

* * *

Taking McGee down to Abby's lab was not as hard as they thought. Gibbs and Tony carried him and found that he was not as heavy as they had thought. It seemed McGee had lost a lot more weight these past few weeks than he had been letting on.

Once they got him to Abby's lab though, that's where the problem began.

Seeing Tim get carried into the lab and deposited onto her futon while unconscious had Abby in a panic.

"Oh my gosh Gibbs what's wrong with Timmy?"

"We don't know Abby he just had some sort of panic attack and Ducky had to sedate him." Tony answered. Abby looked worriedly at McGee. He looked pale and lifeless, very unMcGeeish.

"So what do we do now?" Abby asked the one question that everyone was thinking.

"We wait Abbs." Gibbs answered. With that no more explanation was needed.

The whole team plus Ducky were talking quietly so as not to disturb their teammate.

"So these were the same initials found in the crime scene?" Abby whispered.

Tony nodded. "The very same"

Abby heard Tony's answer and frowned. "So is Tim in danger?" She asked.

"It's possible Abby we don't know" Tony answered. They sat there in silence for a while before they heard a noise. Turning around they noticed Tim was waking.

Tim started stirring in the futon. Hearing voices he slowly opened his eyes. _Where was he? _

"McGee," Gibbs face came into view.

Tim looked around. "Boss, what happened?"

Gibbs looked at him with concern. "We were hoping you could tell us McGee."

McGee looked confused at that comment. Immediately everything that had happened came back to him in a flash. Quickly he shot up and tried to get up.

"Whoa McGee calm down." Gibbs placed a hand on his chest preventing him from moving.

"Yes Timothy you look as if you will keel over at any moment." Tim jumped he hadn't seen Ducky. Straining his neck he noticed the rest of the team was standing behind Gibbs.

_Great, the whole team had seen him pathetically fall apart. _His father was right, he was a pathetic weakling.

"Tim?" Ziva's hesitant call brought him back to the present.

Turning back to the team Tim sat up straight. "So I guess you want to know what that was all about."

* * *

Everyone was sitting in the conference room except for McGee. He was pacing the room in a nervous frenzy not looking anyone in the eye.

"I-I w-was" McGee cleared his throat. "My real name is not Timothy McGee, it is Timothy Anderson."

Without looking up he continued. "I lived with my father Jeffrey Timothy Anderson. My mom left us sometime after I was born."

"How did Sarah come about then?" Tony asked. "If your mom wasn't there then how did …you know" he finished awkwardly. The rest of the team seemed curious as well.

McGee shrugged. "They had an on and off thing going." The team nodded. This made sense.

"Sarah was born in one of their…on things so to speak." McGee stared at the wall as he remembered. "I was eight."

_Tim had just turned eight. Actually today was his birthday. He sat in his room while his father roamed around the house like a caged lion. There was no way he was going to get a birthday cake or a present, but that was alright. So long as his father stayed over there and left him alone he would be fine._

_Just as he heard his father's footsteps start to come his way he heard knocking. His father must have heard it to because the footsteps starting walking away from him. _

_Tim breathed a sigh of relief and leaned on the door. _

_He heard loud voices and yelling coming from the living room. Then he heard a baby's wail pierce the air. _

_Curious he cracked open the door and cautiously looked out. _

_In the living room a familiar looking woman held a bundle in her arms. Said bundle was the one making all of the noise._

"_Shut that thing up before I throw it at the wall" His father yelled out. Tim shuddered. He hoped that the baby got quiet before it made his dad even madder. _

"_Make me" The woman replied. She laid the bundle on the couch._

"_I have other things I want to do in my life and they do not include taking care of a brat!" he yelled out._

_The woman seemed to be unaffected by the yelling and stood firm. "Well so do I!" she also yelled out. _

"_Plus" She continued. "You have Tim to take care of her." _

_That surprised Tim. How did this woman know his name? He didn't have much time to wonder before he heard his father's voice once again yell out. _

"_I don't have time for another brat Claire!" He yelled. "The one I have is more than enough."_

_Tim watched the woman, Claire, stride forward until she reached his father. "You did this Anderson, you fix it." She told him with a glare. "I either leave the baby here or I call the police." _

_Tim's father glared at her but said nothing. They stood face to face for a while until he called Tim. _

"_Boy get out here" He bellowed. Tim hurriedly ran out of his room and into the living room. He nervously waited by the door. _

_His father turned and glared at him. "Well what are you waiting for?" Tim stared at him confused. "Take it back to your room." Tim grabbed the bundle from the couch and was about to leave when he thought of something. _

"_What is her name?" He asked turning around to face the woman. _

"_Boy did I tell you, you could speak?" His father asked enraged. _

_Tim quickly backtracked and was making his way to his room when he heard her call out, Sarah. _

"_Make sure she shuts up or I'm going to shut her up." His father warned. _

"_Yes Sir." He answered automatically entering his room. _

_Once in his room he closed the door and sat on the bed. He looked at the bundle cradled in his arms. Reddish brown hair peeked out of the blanket. He watched with fascination as a little hand came out of the blanket and grasped his thumb. Large brown eyes stared at him curiously. _

_All of a sudden he felt a sense of protectiveness come over him as he held the bundle that lay in his lap. He tenderly brushed some of the stray hair covering her face. _

"_Hello Sarah I'm Tim your big brother," He introduced himself. The baby gurgled and smiled. _

_Holding her close he whispered. "I'm going to make sure you are always safe." She gripped his finger tight. "I promise."_

The team was stunned. Out of all the things they had expected, this was not it. Gibbs himself was shocked. He couldn't believe he never knew. He felt his heart ache at the thought of a young McGee promising to protect his baby sister when he himself had no one to take care of him.

"Was this a common occurrence Timothy?" Ducky asked gently. He thought he knew the answer but he wanted to be sure.

Tim looked away. "Just when he was mad" He said not looking at Ducky. This pretty much confirmed his suspicions.

"Did you ever tell anyone McGee?" Gibbs asked. Surely someone must have noticed.

Tim shook his head.

"No one noticed anything?" He asked incredulously.

"Surely someone must have noticed." Ducky stated.

Tim nodded. "Once someone noticed,"

_Tim had just come home from school. His teacher had noticed that he had a black eye and a few bruises on his back that she saw when he bent down to pick up a few fallen papers. _

_Concerned she had called Tim up to her desk during recess and had asked him if anything was wrong. Panicked Tim had answered that everything was fine. Suspicious she had dropped the issue and given him a note with instructions to bring his father with him on Friday._

_When he got home Tim showed his father the note. Whatever the note said must have been bad because his father's face got red with fury as he glared at Tim. _

"_What did you do now you brat?" He asked Tim._

_Confused Tim stood there in silence. _

"_I asked what you did!" His father yelled._

_Scared Tim answered as much as he knew. Satisfied his father grabbed his jacket and walked out the door. He didn't come back until night time when Tim was asleep._

_That whole week he did nothing to Tim but ignore him or call him names. Come Friday he was well groomed and dressed in a suit that Tim had never seen. Walking out of their building he opened the door of a car that Tim had also never seen. Telling Tim to get in he drove them to the school._

_Once they arrived at the school he grabbed Tim's hand. Tim looked up at him curiously. Confused as to what was happening. _

"_Keep walking and don't talk while we're in there unless I tell you to." He growled in a low voice. Tim nodded. _

"When we got there he was able to convince them that I was a clumsy child and had gotten into a fight with one of my cousins." Tim let out a humorless laugh. "I didn't even have any cousins."

"When we got home I was punished." He took a deep breath. "He told me that if I ever did that again he would beat Sarah."

He took a few more deep breaths to calm himself. He was remembering the fear that he had felt that his father would go through with his threat. "I took my punishment and made sure that Sarah fell asleep and didn't cry." He finished.

"I couldn't risk him going through with his threat, so I never told anyone and I made sure no one noticed."

McGee was afraid to look up. He was afraid they would view him with disgust or disappointment for being such a coward.

"McGee, McGee look at me" Gibbs commanded him.

Tim slowly looked up.

Gibbs looked straight at him and held his gaze. "Let me tell you one thing McGee." _This was it_, McGee thought. _Gibbs is going to tell me what a failure I am._ He lowered his gaze not wanting to see the expression on Gibbs' face when he told him.

"You are the bravest, most kind hearted person that I have ever known." Tim's head shot up. "To live through something like that and come out like you did is something exceptional McGee and I'm proud that you did."

Tim stared at him slack jawed. This was not what he expected at all. He expected Gibbs to tell him how he was disappointed in him or that he was weak, not that he was proud of him.

"I…I…umm" He didn't know what to say.

"I think that you've had a long day McGee" Gibbs said. "Get your stuff I'm taking you home."

"It's okay boss I can drive myself home." Tim said. He didn't want to intrude on Gibbs' home. The man had done more than enough for him. He didn't want to annoy him.

"Not asking McGee. Until he is in our custody I'm not taking any chances you're staying with me." Gibbs told him.

McGee nodded and went to his desk to grab his things. Meanwhile Gibbs gave Tony and Ziva instructions. "I want you two to search for any clues on how and why McGee's father is out of jail and see if you can find any leads."

"Got it boss"

"Yes Gibbs"

They both nodded and went to work. Gibbs was about leave when Abby stopped him. "Take care of him Gibbs."

Gibbs looked back at Tim. "I intend to Abbs"

* * *

Read and Review :)


End file.
